Myrmatopa

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Myrmatopa
Polyrhachis aculeata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Myrmatopa
Forel, 1915
Type species
Polyrhachis schang
Diversity
46 species

Polyrhachis-aculeata-HUMCZ001L.jpg

Polyrhachis-aculeata-HUMCZ001D.jpg

Specimen Label

This is currently a subgenus of Polyrhachis. Please see Polyrhachis for further information.

Species Groups

Kohout (2008) - The subgenus Myrmatopa was divided by Emery (1925) into two species-groups (the wallacei-and schang-groups) and this arrangement was followed by Dorow (1995). However, I am further subdividing the wallacei-group and placing several of its constituent species into a new flavicornis-group. This group is characterised by the mesosomal dorsum being distinctly marginate along its entire length and by the black colour of the body (thus closely resembling some species of the subgenus Campomyrma). In contrast, the mesosoma of the redefined wallacei-group, is distinctly marginate only along the mesonotal and propodeal dorsa. The pronotal margins are completely lacking or evident only at the anterior pronotal angles and the colour of the body is yellowish-or light reddish-brown. The species of the schang species-group differ from members of the other two groups in having the lateral margins of the mesonotum distinctly raised dorsally and a completely immarginate pronotal dorsum.

flavicornis

Polyrhachis flavicornis species-group

schang

Polyrhachis schang species-group

wallacei

Polyrhachis wallacei species-group

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • MYRMATOPA [subgenus of Polyrhachis]
    • Myrmatopa Forel, 1915b: 107 [as subgenus of Polyrhachis]. Type-species: Polyrhachis schang, by original designation.
    • Myrmatopa senior synonym of Irenea: Bolton, 1994: 50; Dorow, 1995: 42.
  • IRENEA [junior synonym of Myrmatopa]
    • Irenea Donisthorpe, 1938e: 502 [as subgenus of Dolichoderus]. Type-species: Dolichoderus (Irenea) omyrmex, by original designation.
    • Irenea raised to genus: Donisthorpe, 1941h: 59.
    • Irenea junior synonym of Myrmatopa: Bolton, 1994: 50; Dorow, 1995: 42.

References